Hi beauties! Today I am sharing another post in my series The Brides Guide. This one is all about the 12 things real brides have shared that they suggest NOT skimping out on when planning a wedding. Let's face it. Weddings can get expensive. We all have our "wants" but we also need to be realistic. We can't be dropping thousands of dollars on each and every item on our checklist. However! The items listed below are things that each bride recommended you spend the money on rather than try and save on. Now...I am not telling you to bump up your set wedding budget, because I mean, hello? My first post as all about how important a wedding budget is, lol! But I do want to give you great advice so you end up happy and satisfied with the services you are paying for.
One of my good friends just recently got engaged, and we were chatting the other night about wedding budgets and what all they were wanting to have for their wedding. I told her to definitely look over this post haha. What's great about this list is that there are similar answers that will help reassure you on a specific item, and there are also a few others that might resonate better with you. Also, one is free! ;)
*Disclaimer* Everyone's idea of a wedding is different! Some people choose to elope and get married with just them two on a beach in the tropics. Others go on down to the courthouse and get it done right then and there. Others go all out and invite anyone and everyone they know to help celebrate. Whatever your dream wedding is, that is what is best for you :) there is no right or wrong way to do it, and there is no certain "dollar" amount to spend on something you'd like to have for your wedding.
Enjoy beauties!
1. "I would say Hair & Makeup because you should feel pampered on that day :) plus a professional can always get the right curl you are looking for so you don’t have to stress about doing it yourself."
2. "DJ, because it was amazing and you can relax and don’t have to worry about the flow of the wedding and reception. You also don’t have to rely on family to help when they are having fun talking to guests."
3. "Video. The day goes by so fast and it's such a blur. Video lets you experience all of the things that whizzed by. It's so special to watch our video on our anniversary and relive the moments!"
4. "Time to yourself the night of your wedding. End it early enough for time for just the two of you. It gives you time to really soak in the amazing day and reflect on the lifelong commitment you just made. Before the next day of real life hustle and bustle begins. I mean that's kinda what a honeymoon is for, but that night you never get back. You get pulled in many directions of family and friends. Reflect just the two of you."
5. "I would say Music/DJ for dancing...it totally makes the party come together and involves everyone!"
6. "Well the first thing that came to my mind was music and food. It's probably a tie between both haha. For me, I wanted my wedding to be a huge party! We hired a live band to play and had appetizers and dinner for everyone. I think those two key pieces make everyone want to stay and visit! Plus we had a lot of people driving from out of town so we want to make it worth their while!
7. "Pictures! Because it’s something that you’ll always look back on and you want to remember that day as beautiful so your pictures will help with that. Also they make great gallery wall photos :)"
8. "If I could go back I would most definitely hire a videographer. It's the one thing I wish I would have had and kick myself for. There's something about seeing your wedding in a live aspect that I don't think pictures can truly do justice. My best friends video makes me cry every time I watch it because of the raw emotions."
9. "A photographer that is fun to work with! Spending a little more was so worth it! Also, making sure you have a good DJ! It was so nice to not have to worry too much on music to play!!:)"
10. "For me it was... #1 Venue and treating my guests to a weekend away! We did a private intimate ceremony with just our closest family (65 people). We rented a large enough house where the majority of them (45 total) stayed the 4 nights with us! We celebrated and we all took part in the set up and creation of our special day! I will NEVER for get it. The money spent on the beautiful venue to cater to all of our family was well worth every penny because of the memories everyone created. Not to mention it was so special to share all those moment with the people you love most! #2 VOWS, spending time to write your own vows instead of leaving it to the books was so special for us. Still to this day I remember the words my husband said to me that day. They resonate so deeply and true to our relationship! #3 Photographer to capture all the special moments. Being able to document the special day by someone very talented is key!! The right photographer can really create the perfect love story you can cherish for the rest of your life!
11. "Photographer for sure. Get someone who will go that extra mile for you. The day goes by SO fast. Faster then you could ever imagine and all you’ll have left is your pictures to remember the day."
12. As the final bride, I would definitely say photography as well. You can never go back and reenact that day. You want the best pictures you can get to really capture the beauty of it all. Beautiful photos really help bring out the emotions of the moment captured. Just like what all these other brides have said about photography, having those photos to look back on and be happy and satisfied, or make a gallery wall out of, is so so worth it!
Hope these were helpful for all you bride-to-be's! Happy wedding planning!
xo,
Micaiah